I didn’t move. The pen stayed pressed to the clipboard, right above "lentils."
The door opened wide and Althea came in again. She looked at me, tilting her head slightly.
"Cecilia sent me this time," she said. "She said, I should help you finish counting because I have nothing I’m doing right now, and besides, lunch is ready."
Althea stepped in and shut the door behind her. She took the clipboard from my hand, ran her eyes down the list. "You’re on lentils?"
"Eighteen," I said. My voice came out quieter than I meant.
"Right." She uncapped her own pen. "I’ll take the bottom shelves, you finish the top." For a minute, it was just the sound of cans. Althea counted under her breath.
"Lunch is roast chicken today," she said, without looking up.
"Oh, wow, that’s good," I said.
She cli
